hermine
ltm catalog

"The MOR 'chick singer' shifted dramatically out of focus" is about as good a précis of the music career of the new wave diva Hermine Demoriane as is possible in one short soundbite. An unclassifiable performer, whose career spans writing, acting, comedy and tightrope walking as well as singing, Hermine's musical reputation rests on her cult mini-album from 1982, The World On My Plates, on which the allure of her vaudeville torch songs is much enhanced by the iconic cover image. To read full Hermine biography click here. To purchase CDs click here.


THE WORLD ON MY PLATES bis LTMCD 2473 £10
The iconic cover by Richard Rayner-Canham perfectly matches the unique mixture of charm and wit that is Hermine's debut (mini) album from 1982, originally released on Crammed Discs. Comprising both originals and wry femme fatale versions of torch standards by Ruth Wallis, Roy Orbison and others, the six tracks have been expanded with the addition of another seven bonus songs from her rare early singles, including Torture/Veiled Women, produced by David Cunningham of Flying Lizards fame. Digitally remastered from the original analogue tapes, the booklet features a detailed artist biography together with images from the rich Hermine archive. 13 tracks, 45 minutes of music. Full tracklist: Happy Holidays, The Thrill Is Gone, Waiting, I Won't Make It Without You, Too Many Men In My Life, Blue Angel, Torture, Veiled Women, Foxes Will, Born A Woman, TV Lovers, Valley of the Dolls, Veiled Women (version).

Reviews: "Another music from a different kitsching. Musical backings are kept to a minimum: mistily tinkled piano keys, occasional snaking columns of cello and a bit of fake jazzy sax. Hermine is French and continues to exercise her almost petulant, devil-may-care abuse of bland English vowel sounds. It is this foreign larynx wrapping itself around, and warbling through, these songs that gives rise to the common torch singer description of 'Ridiculous!' Her quietly dazzling ability is to tread excruciatingly close to cabaret novelty yet shed light on the contradictions and dogma lurking within these songs. This vinyl succeeds in capturing the humorous but strangely unsettling talent that she displays live where the singles failed, and six songs allow time to savour and soak in the Hermine experience" (Sounds); "Show me the way to the next café bar. Hermine lives in a demi-monde, a world of sleaze and cramped vamps. The torch sets this shadowland alight, though with a flame that puts Carmel, Ronni et al to the stake. All six tracks are wonders, and the voice coats every word in fondly rolled broken English. Old standards like Too Many Men in My Life are knocked out with a smattering of lines like 'eet ze sac' that brings the French farce of the singer into line with the ribald American humour of the lyricist. This one deserves to go gold" (NME); "Sensitive, creative, contemporary quality pop at its best" (Music Week); "The record of the moment" (Melody Maker); "Unutterably sophisticated" (Hot Press); "Atmospheric and intoxicating" (Zigzag)


LONELY AT THE TOP bis LTMCD 2476 £10
The second album from Hermine, originally released on Salome Disque in 1984, and now expanded with 7 bonus tracks recorded live in Germany in November 1982. The perfect companion disc to The World On My Plates, this CD has also been digitally remastered from the original analogue tapes, and features a detailed artist biography and images in the booklet. The bonus cuts represent a complete live performance and include several tracks not recorded in the studio by Hermine, including her witty interpretation of Is That All There Is? 17 tracks, 75 minutes of music. Full tracklist: The Story of a Ridiculous Dummy, Une Aut' Soir d'Ennui, Don't Smoke In Bed, Noir Noir Noir, Sleepy Feeling, Death of Samantha, La Valse de 99 Ans, That's The Way It Goes, Hollow Hello, Anything, Foxes Will (live), Don't Get Around Much Anymore (live), Cry Me A River (live), Is That All There Is? (live), Noir Noir Noir (live), Tonight You Sleep in the Bathtub (live), La Valse de 99 Ans (live).

Reviews: "An idiosyncratic mixture of cod-Brechtian dramatics, folk song and self-consciously arty rock, wrought from a small, exotic orchestra, including bassoon, cello, accordion and glockenspiel, and delivered in a heavily mannered accent. The French no doubt have a word for 'mixed bag' and Hermine Demoriane would know it well" (The Guardian); "A clutch of material ranging from deranged covers of Yoko Ono and Neil Sedaka numbers to originals, it confirms Hermine as the Helen Shapiro/Dionne Warwick of the offbeat 80s - the MOR 'chick singer' shifted dramatically out of focus" (City Limits); "The originals are somewhat difficult for me to describe, lying in form and style somewhat beyond that to which I am accustomed. Her voice, a mixture of Edith Piaf, Cindy Lauper and Ophelia in her last days, intones lyrics that range from the silly to the confused, while her entourage deliver a perculiar imitation of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. However, everything comes together on the cover versions. These seem to provide both a focus and a framework for the group's energies and the result is amazingly original, enthusiastic, intelligent and enjoyable" (Earwax); "Hermine pays no attention to her backing band when she sings live: it is up to them to follow her free interpretation of time" (Times Literary Supplement 01/07)

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